It’s quite evident that of late a major chunk of customers at restaurants are millennials; people in their late teens to early 30’s. The youth tend to dine out more as compared to their parents, and therefore every restaurant needs to evolve and market directly to them. Here are a few tips that’ll ensure millennials become loyalists to your restaurant:
1. Social Media Presence
Millennials spend most of their time on various social media platforms, and if you’re not catching eyeballs here, you’re losing out on a massive opportunity. The most popular ways in which restaurants engage with their customers are by creating unique hashtags, hosting contests and promoting user generated content. A strong presence on social media is definitely a prerequisite to attracting millennials to your restaurant. Find out more about how to have a successful social media presence.
2. Dining Experience
If you win over customers with an exceptional experience, they’re bound to come back! For instance, if your ambience is too overwhelming and food super insta-worthy, (we’ll come to that in the next point), they won’t think twice before planning a second visit. Ordering in is emerging as a common trend amongst the young generation, so it’s essential to stand out and give them a reason to dine out.
3. Insta-Worthy Plating & Presentation
A common practice adopted by millennials lately is taking pictures of their food and simultaneously posting them on Instagram. If your plating and presentation is top-notch, and their Instagram picture gets a bunch of likes, it’s a win-win – you’ll retain that diner and make a great impression on their followers!
4. Organize An Event
From live band performances to stand-up comedy nights and karaoke nights, events are a big hit amongst diners. Specially curated nights tend to increase footfall, help you tap into the millennial audience and retain them. You must also promote your event on social media extensively to catch hold of your target audience.
5. Experiment With New Trends
Millennials are quite enthusiastic about new trends and the fear of missing out (colloquially referred to as FOMO) urges them to be up and about, trying new things. Recently fusion food emerged as a popular trend and a lot of restaurants are capitalizing on it. Menus inspired by simple trends like Pokemon Go or Game Of Thrones also work wonders!
6. Loyalty Programs & Rewarding Consistent Diners
Diners often become loyalists when you give them a reason to come back. It’s best to run loyalty programmes by giving them a discount on the 3rd or 4th visit. Another great way of retaining diners is by rewarding the consistent ones with merchandise or free meals. The key is to keep them happy and make them feel special.
7. Promote Healthy Food
Health conscious consumers are on the rise and the best way to capture them is by making your menu transparent. Gym goers and calorie counters are always on the lookout for healthy menus. Offer healthy options, organic food and low-fat desserts to tempt millennials.
The first impression of your restaurant matters a lot, so make a good one on the youngsters and their word of mouth marketing will get you loads of business! Do you have any best-practices to share that millennials responded to well? Tell us in the comments below.
